


Albus Potter: The Wand Chooses The Wizard

by Typewriter44



Series: Albus Potter Is His Father's Son [1]
Category: Harry Potter - Fandom, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Borderline Squib Albus, Diagon Alley, Gen, HP: Epilogue Compliant, Insecurity, Knockturn Alley, Ollivander's, Wand Shopping, epilogue compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-08
Updated: 2016-10-08
Packaged: 2018-08-20 07:26:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8241266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Typewriter44/pseuds/Typewriter44
Summary: A standalone fic that may link into other works or may not.
Harry delays a bit too much on taking Albus Wand Shopping, of course he leaves it to the busiest day of the pre-Season and when Albus gets lost in the crowds he mirrors his father's knack for finding himself in risky situations.  Still with well dressed women riding to the rescue and the "New and Improved" Ollivander's it was never going to be a boring day.





	

**Author's Note:**

> So this is just something I wrote after finishing the Cursed Child. I hmm-d and haw-d about posting it at all and decided I would. It is a standalone story really, it might link up to others I write when the mood strikes me but really it's just me taking a shot at writing something in the Potterverse and trying to explore things a bit. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy it and any thoughts or constructive criticism are welcome. I have an entire scenario of sorts rolling around in my head, even classmates and other stuff that may seep out into another story but for now take this as it is and I hope it is...good.

Albus Potter

The Wand Chooses the Wizard

Albus grimaced as another pedestrian brushed past him on Diagon Alleys overcrowded street. His father clasped his wrist and powered on ahead but the milling masses closing in his wake frequently bumped and jostled his eleven year old son trailing behind him. "Keep close Al, Ollivanders is just ahead!" 

Al felt another back knock into his hip as a portly witch tottered past in pencil thin heels and a dour expression.

"You said that 15 minutes ago, Dad" he called out, his stomach already roiling with anxiety about the upcoming school year. "Can't we come back tomorrow?"

His father gave a mildly terrified laugh. "Your mother would kill me if I came home without getting you your wand. It’s the last thing on the list. I'd rather face Quintus Delahunt in one of his policy reviews than face your mother’s glare..."

Harry shuddered at the Molly-esque glare his wife had mastered for the school year ever since James had almost gotten on the Hogwarts express for his first year and not had any robes. Harry had never thought he would need to brandish Auror credentials in Madam Malkin's but...well... it had happened.

"Oh there's Neville" Harry exclaimed, waving in the direction of Flourish and Blotts where Neville stood in a tweed jacket, an arm around the smiling shape of his wife Hannah. "Nev! Hannah!"

It was during his change of direction that he lost a grasp on Al's hand, someone bustled into them and Al was suddenly caught up in a tide of people. He really hated enclosed spaces, really, REALLY hated them. Not claustrophobia, no, but a crush of people was a special level of hell for him. He pushed his way past people getting a tad more frantic than he normally would in order to push into a quiet side street and escape the hubbub.

He paused for a moment and the smell of oddness stung his nose.

Slowly he took in his surroundings. The dingy dark street, its buildings seeming to lean forward to reduce the light from above making its way in to the dank, grey cobbles and shadowy shopfronts. The scent of brimstone and sulfur from a nearby apothecary and the hissed whispers from a small shop front where beady, glittering eyes glared out at him from the window as if sizing him up.

A hag lurched out of an alcove at him, a tray around her neck offered "Pieces For Sale" and rattled with old metal cans containing what looked like teeth.

Human teeth.

A gnarled warty hand reached for him and he jerked back hurrying through the street and ducking into a doorway. He could see people moving in the street, but they crept everywhere, sticking to the shadows with wary glances around them. He had heard of Knockturn alley...lots of times...mostly when James wanted to scare him and Lilly for fun.

There was a place that sold kid cutlets apparently. 

A dryness set into Al's mouth at that thought and he wished he could just Apparate back to his father or, better yet, home. Sadly that was several years off being possible.

If he even made it to Hogwarts.

He peered out into the street again, he needed to find his way back to Diagon Alley but he had been so spun around he didn't even know where to go. One of the shops was an apothecary but unlike the one on Diagon Alley this seemed to have jars of eyes too large to be from a newt. A tall witch with sallow skin and dark hair and piercing blue eyes stepped out, putting what looked like a large bottle of blood into the basket on her arm and moving away.

The sign in the window was partially obscured by dust and grime but it might have read "Sale On Human Blood".

Unless it said "Sale on Humor: Blood", that could be it, not much better but as his dad often said after a nasty case or two: Sometimes mysteries were best left unsolved. He slunk back into the store as the hag from before slunk along the street, watery blue eyes scouring the street, hooked nose drawing sharp breaths in as if hunting by scent.

Al shivered as he realized that was probably exactly what she was doing.

He pulled back into the shop proper, a thick and heavy incense filling the air and hopefully masking his smell to the hag. 

The darkness felt safe around him and as his eyes adjusted he at first mistook the place for some sort of funeral parlor. It was a tall narrow building full of creaking wood and lit only by small, dim gas lamps of blue flame and the vague light from stained glass windows. The coffins lined alcoves and the dusty glass desks forming a square in the middle of the room were filled with shadows of items marked with price tags.

Al gulped as he glanced into a tall display case against the wall and found a long thin bone, engraved with dark, spiraling symbols marked as being worth 40 Galleons. That looked an awful lot like a human femur, he thought, a cold chill ran down his back like a single drop of icy sweat.

He ducked in behind a sarcophagus as he heard footsteps off the street.

A tall, imperious looking man swept in, riding boots polished to perfection and fitted black great coat pressed and perfect on his slender frame. He was cold and aloof, dark blue eyes shimmering as he scanned the shop with a faint note of contempt.

"Welcome to the Coffin House where those in the grave can help you save" the low, droning voice rhymed. A man stepped out from behind a heavy velvet drape in the back left corner of the shop. He was gaunt and sterile looking, sunken, dark eyes glimmering as he moved forwards and stood behind the desk. He wore an old suit with crisp, pressed edges and a pressed black cravat, the kind of things fancy undertakers wore in old tv shows.

"Mr. Nott" he said as he saw the customer. 

"Mister Wratch" came the quiet reply. "My order?"

The man nodded and slunk back with a slight bow to a box set on the rear counter-top. He tapped it three times with his wand before the iron bound item clunked and opened, the lid sliding open with a hiss and allowing him to reach inside and pull out a small brown cardboard box.

"Would you like it gift wrapped, sir?"

He couldn't see the other man's face but the sense his body language gave indicated the response to be scathingly uninterested in jokes. "No Mr. Wratch, just the usual paper"

"Of course sir" the ghoulish shop owner replied, reaching down to pull string, scissors and brown paper from somewhere out of sight. Nott however had opened the box and removed a silver coin, holding it in leather gloved hands, turning it slowly in some of the scant light within the shop.

"Marvellous" he murmured before returning it to the box and letting Mr. Wratch wrap it while he produced a leather pouch of coins and placed it on the desk. "The fee as promised"

"Ah of course...given the difficulty in procuring items from Greece, however-" the shopkeeper had the gold in his hands now, a hungry look was obstructing the otherwise emotionless demeanor.

"My dear Mr Wratch" the voice was low and dangerous, Mr. Nott spoke coolly and calmly, his body suddenly still and perfectly poised. "I do hope we can remain business associates, it would be most unfortunate if sudden changes in price or threats were to force me to find a new specialist supplier. I would hate for us to have to cease business... but were we forced to do so I might have to..." he made a gesture with his hand that reminded Al of a wand being wielded to cast a spell. "Clear some accounts."

Wratch gulped faintly. "Of course...terrible...no...just...there may be a delay in acquisitions from that particular area".

Nott gave the box a shake and it jingled, more than one coin lay within. "I believe I have all I need from that area, for now, Mr. Wratch. I am, however, sure I will need to get in touch with you soon." The man strode out of the shop with an air of finality that seemed to freeze the owner in place. Once gone Wratch tipped the coins out onto his palm and smiled broadly...with a set of frighteningly sharp and jagged teeth.

Al bit his lip to avoid gasping in horror...but the owner seemed to hear it. He looked around, eyes shimmering with intensity as he searched. Al felt himself begin to stiffen in fear, like a mouse before a snake...he reached out to one of the cases, picked up a small iron cup and hurled it towards the other side of the room where it filled the room with the loud clang of its impact.

Wratch moved swiftly towards the source of the noise and Al darted out of the shop, leaving the thick and heady incense and dusky light behind. He stumbled back out into Nocturne Alley with a gasp of fear, hurrying along the street in search of a sign or map of some sort to escape the place. 

A bony hand clasped his shoulder and he swung around to find the wart-and-boil encrusted face of the hag leering over him, a few jagged yellow teeth left in her black and crimson gums as she loomed over him despite her hunched back.

Albus felt dread fill his throat, stifling and cry or protest he might have made...when a spark of red light flashed in the corner of his eye with a snap somewhere between the crack of an ember and the lash of a whip. A smartly dressed woman held her wand out before her, clad in black silken skirt and coat with an emerald broach on her left lapel and a parcel under her right arm just over her designer handbag held on the bend of her elbow.

"I'm sure you forgot yourself" she said primly. "One mustn't touch other people’s children". 

The hag rubbed her hand, the red welts of the stinging hex had popped boils and warts and the smell was foul but the pain enough to repel her a step or two. She glared at the pale woman who met her with dark green eyes and gave a polite smile, catching the hag utterly off guard. "Run along dear."

He hag skulked back to her alcove in her ratty ragged clothes and returned to trying to sell what could loosely be termed "her wares".

Albus looked at the woman with faint awe on his face. Her beautiful face gave was to a smile as she strode over to him, tucking her wand into a tailored compartment on her coat. "Now then young man, you are far too clean cut and pleasant to be in Nocturne Alley, are you quite lost?"

"O-oh" Al blinked and nodded. "Yes I'm meant to go to Ollivander's-"

"Oh splendid, so am I. Are you getting your wand?"

Albus fell into step alongside her as she lead him towards the sounds of Diagon Alley. "Yes I start Hogwarts in a few weeks"

"Ah, let me guess, your father delayed the wand purchase?" The woman chuckled

"How did you-?"

"My husband did the same, men can be so peculiar about these things" she sighed. "My son starts there this coming term too. I hope you two shall be friends, Albus."

It dawned on Al in that moment that the woman had a parcel under her arm she probably acquired from Nocturne Alley, a place she seemed familiar with and confident enough to enter even in high heels and an open display of wealth. She also knew his name and he had followed her without question just because she wasn't a hag.

"Here we are" the woman smiled gesturing to the manic bustle of Diagon Alley. "Ollivander's is just this way" she beckoned.

At this moment Al reasoned he had more chance of alerting his father than if he retreated back into Nocturne Alley to elude this strange woman. In his gut, though, he had to admit, she didn't feel like a bad person to him and that counted for something.

The woman strode alongside him, politely but firmly pushing her way through the crowds until she reached Ollivander's. The shop had been refurbished apparently, made brighter with more display windows and a neater interior. Ever since Ollivander's granddaughter had taken over after her father died the place had become almost trendy...well that's what Al's Grandmother said.

She sounded oddly forlorn when she did.

Soft music was playing as Albus arrived at the door one of the ballads from Some Inflection, a troupe of young male wizards even his cousin Rose sighed about when she thought no one was looking. "Welcome to Ollivander's Wand Makers, my name is Dawn, how can I help today?"

The girl was dressed in the dark blue robes the store assistance wore with her name pinned in a small silver frame to her coat. She had her blonde hair tied back in a plait and a sincere smile on her face. "Oh I know you! You're Teddy's cousin!"

"ALBUS!" 

Harry was suddenly in front of his son, grasping his shoulders with a fearful look of relief on his face, as if apprehensive to expect his son unharmed or severely traumatized by his father's parental failings. "I have been worried SICK, are you okay? Where did you go? WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING EVERYWHERE!"

"Not Nocturne Alley, though" Albus said softly. "I got lost and this woman helped me." He turned to indicated his savior to his father only to find her no longer standing beside him. "She...she was right here..."

A soft throat clearing drew his attention towards her, now seated on one of the leather sofas as an attendant brought her a coffee. "Hello, Mr. Potter" she said with a smile, removing her gloves and placing them in her bag with the parcel she had held before.

Albus saw his father squint at her and the realization set in as he saw a blonde boy in a black blazer sit down beside her. "Malfoy?"he murmured.

"Astoria Malfoy, yes" she offered a hand and Albus noted how slow his father was to accept it. "I was passing by when I saw Albus here in the clutches of Nocturne Alley, poor dear was very out of place but I recognized him from Rita Skeeter’s work of fiction at the Quidditch World Cup".

Al winced at the memory of that particular disaster. Seeing his mother hex the Harpy of the Daily Prophet had been quite fun to see though and after the things she had said about Aunt Hannah and Uncle Neville...

"Too few people see her for what she is" Harry nodded calmly, detaching his hand. 

"Common sense is in short supply then, vicious snake of a woman" Astoria scoffed, her son sitting quietly at her side. "Personally I think she should be drummed out of the Prophet staff, but few people agree. The woman sells papers."

"Malfoy. Potter."

The voice echoed from overhead and up on an overlooking balcony on the upper floor Brigid Ollivander stood in her pinstripe robes and holding her wand to her throat. As she saw Harry and Astoria raise their hands the rounded woman came down the steps in a swift movement of efficiency, not a singles strand of grey streaked brown hair quavered in motion. "We'll take the boys to the measuring rooms and you can join us once we have that out of the way. Dawn, fetch Mr. Potter and Lady Malfoy some refreshments please".

Dawn gave a smile and a nod at the clipped but polite tone and hurried off to the hissing and rattling Coffee Machine in the far corner. Every wall in the shop was covered in small boxes of varying colors, each one bearing a sticker with their properties handwritten on it, some in very faded ink with a reference code of letters and numbers emblazoned in gold ink alongside it.

The neatness and order of the clutter seemed almost impossible, but it was efficient, and every so often a wand box would fire like a missile out of its cubby hole and veer off into one of the three doorways on the upper floor where people could be seen testing wands, proud parents applauding children or older folk trying out a repaired one. 

Ms. Ollivander lead them up the stairs to a small room near the balcony she had been standing on previously. "There is some pumpkin juice and a few treats on the table" she said, indicating the tray between two chairs with a large jug and collection of Honeysucker lollipops and Bertie Botts all flavored beans in a small bowl. 

The blonde boy looked at Al who blinked in response and then moved over and poured a glass of pumpkin juice. "Want some?"

"Yes please" the boy murmured. "Thanks."

Albus handed a glass to the boy as Brigid Ollivander retrieved a small wooden box and opened it allowing two long measuring tapes to rise out of it like cobras. "Now gentlemen, just hold out your wand hand, the one you write with, and extend your index finger".

They exchanged a look and Al extended his right hand while the other boy extended his left. In a split second the tapes were slithering along the ground, up their legs (Malfoy giggled despite himself and nearly dropped his drink) and around their arms, shoulders, elbows and wrists before measuring the length and girth of their fingers.

Then they retreated back to the box as Ms. Ollivander snapped her fingers and set a notepad to jotting down a series of numbers for Malfoy-S and Potter-A. Albus and Malfoy exchanged a look and then Albus said: "That was rather weird"

Malfoy nodded and smiled faintly, he was a delicate looking youth with slicked back blonde hair and a strangely neat and mature appearance for an 11 year old.

"I'm Scorpius Malfoy" the young man said. "Nice to meet you".

Albus accepted the handshake. "Albus Potter. Hi."

"Are you excited for Hogwarts?" Scorpius asked as they watched Ms. Ollivander stride briskly out of the room. "I'm looking forward to flying most of all. Its only in first year but a whole class dedicated to it is going to be great."

"Yeah. My dad was a seeker in his first year so, I...well I suppose I want to be as good as he is but my brother is the Gryffindor Keeper so maybe I won't be a Seeker" Albus felt himself babbling and clamped his jaw shut. "It should be fun" he managed at last.

Scorpius nodded. "My dad was a Seeker too, he wasn't terribly good apparently but I just like flying so I'm in no rush to jump into Quidditch. Besides first years don't get onto teams normally."

That sinking feeling set in as Albus was reminded of how uniquely talented his father was in so many things. Before any more could be said to drop him deeper into the quagmire their parents came in the door followed by Ms. Ollivander who was tapping the air with her wand. "Accio 517F9, 314D7, 1191H8 and 882D75". She pointed the boxes towards a shelf on the far wall as they zoomed into the room before listing off another set of numbers and letters. 

Their parents settled into seats nearby as the boxes flitted in and Ms. Ollivander produced her notepad. She offered a wand to Scorpius. "Walnut, 10 and 3/4 inches, Unicorn Hair" she explained. "Give it a swing".

Scorpius flicked the wand and a plume of dull smoke erupted off the end.

"Not that one. Mr. Potter, try this, Dragon Heartstring, 10.5 inches, Sycamore"

Albus grasped the carved hilt and gave a small flourish...nothing happened. He tried again but to no avail. "Hm...well that’s a no then"Ms Ollivander said as she offered another. Three wands in and Scorpius finally flourished a 10 inch Aspen wand with a Unicorn hair core and sent a cascade of light swirling through the room.

Astoria clapped happily and hugged her son. "Marvelous darling, marvelous!"

Harry gave Albus a supportive smile and watched as yet another Wand seemed little more than an ornate stick to his son. As Scorpius left he gave a small wave to Albus. "See you three weeks" he smiled faintly before going to pay.

Ms Ollivander conjured more wands but none had any reaction of note. Oh there was magic, a spark or a pop of light from the end but nothing terribly flashy. Eventually Dawn was called to clear away space as the number of boxes mounted on the shelf and more were summoned in as the rest of Ms. Ollivander's appointments were shifted to other advisers.

A strange fixation had crept into her periwinkle blue eyes and her rosy complexion was flushed with determination. "We could try something unorthodox" she murmured. "Kneazle Hair? It would bond with a stuffed animal". Albus frowned at that and his father shifted uneasily. "A moment I have some ideas" she tottered away in a hurry and left the father and son alone.

Albus licked his lips and then finally said: "Am I a Squib?"

Harry knelt down to meet his son’s gaze, soft smile crinkling the corner of his eyes. "No. Heavens no, we saw you levitate that cake, we know you have magic, and even if you didn't your mum and I would still be proud of you and everything you can do."

The sentiment was appreciated but Al didn’t feel any better.

Ms Ollivander swept back in like a sudden pinstriped breeze, heels clacking, jaw set and a box in her hands that was so covered in dust it almost resembled a storm cloud. "Here!" She declared, thrusting the box forward with a cry of almost desperation. "Something Grandpapa had set aside."

The wand was elegantly carved and in a wood they hadn’t seen before. The design seemed very different from all the others on some fundamental level, but it felt right in his hand. He took a deep breath and flicked the wand over his head.

The flash of light swirled a vortex of wind around the room before it faded away with a faint hum of magical energy. Harry pulled his son into a hug and gave him a vigorous pat on the back of approval that nearly knocked the boy over. Albus beamed as he felt the weight of his wand, His Wand, in his hand.

Ms. Ollivander’s eyes gleamed with a look of intrigue as she held out the box to him. "Tail feathers" she mumbled to herself as she placed the box in a small bag. 

"Pardon?" Albus murmured.

Ms. Ollivander handed him the bag with a smile. "Oh, just something I noticed over the years, heart strings, hairs and tail feathers" she mused. "Wands tell you a great deal about the person and only by understanding themselves can they truly excel. You are still searching, aren't you?"

Albus flushed as the well manicured hands clasped his and gave him a worryingly knowing smile. "Good luck, young Mr. Potter, I hope the wand helps you to come to understand, it is after all, a reflection of who we are."

She smiled and lead them down to the front desk, taking the 7 Galleons from his father and waving them off, that strange look following Albus until the shop vanished from view. Albus looked at the small blue and grey striped bag and the dusty box contained within with the terribly faded label on it.

His wand.

His Wand.

He smiled up at his dad. "How about we all get a bite in the Leaky Cauldron? I'll fire call your mum and we can have a treat."

Albus nodded and smiled at his father as they walked down the now quieter street towards Muggle London. In just a few short weeks he would be on his way to Hogwarts. He felt lead butterflies stir in his stomach as he passed Madame Malkin's and the display of school robes in the window as the old seamstress tottered about cheerfully putting House ties on display and adjusting a banner over them.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL ROBES. HOUSE TIES AVAILABLE.

**Author's Note:**

> Well. There you have it.
> 
> I appreciate you reading this far...unless you just scrolled down, coz that kind of sucks as a thing to do.
> 
> Anyway please let me know your thoughts and I apologize for any spelling errors, I was sure I had them all but you get de-synthesized after a while of reading I find.
> 
> Also side note but...I swear reading Cursed Child it seemed more likely for Albus and Scorpius to get together than Rose and Scorpius, just, for some reason.
> 
> Right, hope some of the mirroring I did worked. Thanks for reading.


End file.
